It's a Mad World
by Linda Ku
Summary: Sanity was never something Madeline Gilbert understood, but she would pretend she was sane for her family. They needed her to be strong and that's what she would do. Whatever the cost. She'll protect them all. But as the supernatural invade her home and the lies strain her family, Madeline is forced to make a choice: her family or her happiness.
1. Chapter 1

Hi everyone, the name's Linda. I've decided to try my hat on a Vampire Diaries story with a Gilbert twin. I wanted to challenge myself and have been writing this story for a long time. I hope people will get some enjoyment of it as I did writing it. Thank you, and as always, remember that italics are flashbacks and that I don't own The Vampire Diaries.

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><p><em>She played the piano, losing herself within its soft melodies and hypnotic message. The music, a representation of herself, her life, builds and builds to a climax, she neither knows nor desires. The ending unclear, the notes petered off into a melancholy silence.<em>

_It did not bode well for her future._

_As she played, she failed to notice her admirer._

_"Well, that's certainly something," her admirer whispered behind her, tickling the nape of her neck. She whirled around, prepared to give her intruder a piece of her mind, but relaxed upon seeing who it was. Hypnotic brown eyes glittered mischievously down at her._

_"Stop sneaking up on me! You'll give me a heart attack with all this sneaking about business. Then I'll be dead and then what?" She chastised her companion. He chuckled and tucked her hair behind her ear, causing her to blush and him to smirk widely._

_"Oh come on sweets, do you honestly think I'll let that happen?" He asked her, amused. She let out a small giggle, shaking her head. His smirk widened. He leaned in closer to her, his breath fanning her face. She shivered as he chuckled once again._

_"Good to know you have confidence in me," He whispered in her ear, leaving goose bumps. He smiled wickedly and caressed her cheek softly before leaving his hand on her face. She grinned mischievously._

_"Well since it would appear you'll do anything for me, why don't you whip me up sandwich?" She smirked up at him, brushing her hand through his uncontrolled honey chocolate hair. He chuckled lowly and smiled down at her, his eyes conveying how much this amused him._

_"Come now pet, it is the woman's job to provide for their husbands. As such, I simply cannot allow you to trample on tradition." She let out an unlady like snort, causing him to laugh outright._

_"Since when were we traditional?" he smiled wickedly at her and, without warning, swept her up into his arms, proceeding to carry her bridal style out of the room._

_"We never were, and we never will be," He told her._

_"Always and forever?" She asked him laughing._

_"Always and forever," he replied. Their laughter echoed as they left the room._

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><p>The sunlight trickled into the room, its purpose clear and its mission set. The target was lying on the bed, asleep and momentarily ignorant of the world. Momentarily free of the expectations forced upon her by those whose opinion she held above all else. Only a couple more feet and the sunlight would have served its purpose.<p>

One more foot

She twitched and moaned quietly.

5 inches left

A soft sigh escaped her lips and a smile began to unconsciously make its way across her face.

2

1

"God damn it!"

Mission Success

Madeline Gilbert shut her eyes at the sunlight that was hitting her-now closed-pupils with deadly accuracy. She looked at her alarm clock and frowned, it was the first day of school, meaning she now had to wake up at this ungodly hour.

Madeline rose from her bed and made her way towards the shower. She expertly avoided the mirror, for she knew what would be staring back at her: anger and sadness rolled up in a chaotic package. She turned on her faucet and quickly got in the shower, not caring that that the water had yet to reach its correct temperature. As she lathered and rinsed her body, Madeline allowed herself to venture into her mindscape, something she was able to do since she was little.

She later found out that it wasn't something every person could do.

See Madeline is what people would call strange. She not only knew but did things that the basic laws of nature would not allow. Such an odd little girl, Madeline did not have any friends that were truly her own. She merely had acquaintances, people she would, in the private of her own home, fancy as friends. It was not as though Madeline wanted these things to happen. They just did, and she went along with it, because really, who was she to deny what she was? She was Madeline, strange things and all.

Madeline closed her eyes and exhaled softly, as her subconscious retreated into her mind. She opened her eyes and looked around her mindscape. What was once a controlled and beautiful mindscape was now a decaying mass of unwanted emotions and memories. She could feel herself slowly falling into madness as more and more cracks appeared on the walls of her mind. She was only grateful they were not appearing as often as they were before. She did not know what was stopping, or slowing down her descent into madness, all she knew was that it was helping her. Helping her stay afloat in a world filled to the brim with mysteries and secrets. This thing was keeping her tethered to reality, to the here and now. It could be her family, but something was telling her that was not it, that there was something she just was not getting. Something more to the picture, something she needed to find out quickly. She did not know why she felt like this. It was as if her body was waiting, waiting for something to happen. Her muscles were constantly tense, ready to react quickly to whatever surprise was coming her way. She was wound up and she had no idea why.

Madeline sighed as she stared at the momentarily stagnated cracks. Her family needed her to be strong; they did not want to be burdened by the nightmares that kept her awake at night, nightmares about black eyes and sharp teeth. Madeline closed her eyes within her mindscape and opened them in reality to find herself making her way down the steps. She blinked a couple times, trying to get herself to become aware again. Jeremy ran down the steps, bumping into her, offering an insincere apology. Madeline took a deep breath and began to walk down the steps, now more conscious of her surroundings. She could hear voices below.

"It's all about coffee Aunt Jenna," Elena was saying as she poured herself a cup. Jeremy was quick to grab it and take a rather large gulp.

"That was my coffee," normally Elena would have let it go, being above such petty squabbles, but she was curious as to what his reaction would be. Jeremy was so closed off it was beginning to scare her. She wanted to know if her brother was still there, under the anger and drugs that were so constantly displayed on the youngest Gilbert's face. Getting no answer, Elena sighed and began to pour herself another cup.

"Okay, money?" Jenna asked frazzled. Madeline had finally made it down the steps to see Jeremy grab all of the money that was in Jenna's hand. She shook her head and sighed. It was okay, it wasn't as if she had to eat lunch. She should go on a diet anyway. Her stomach squawked indignantly at her suggestion. It needed to eat at some point or else it would just waste away.

"Don't you have something to do Aunt Jenna?" Elena asked confused. Jenna thought about it and nodded.

"I have a conference at-" she looked at her watch "-now, crap." If it was possible, Jenna became even more frazzled. Madeline giggled a little.

"Relax Jenna, we got it covered, go," Elena assured her aunt. Jenna nodded quickly and ran out of the door, Jeremy trailing behind her at a more sedate pace.

"Hey Jere-" Jeremy turned and scoffed, cutting her off.

"Don't start," he whispered harshly and slammed the door. Madeline watched as Elena sighed and turned to her, finally realizing her presence.

"Are you okay Mad?" Madeline took a second to answer. She inhaled, preparing to lie to her sister as she always did. As much as Elena liked to pretend she was strong, Madeline knew she was weak. She was drowning under the pressures set upon her by the people around her. No matter how much she wanted to force what little strength she possessed to handle the problems of the family, it wouldn't come. Madeline knew her sister wouldn't be able to handle her problems. It would cripple her; cause her to become fearful and guilty once again. It would cause her to doubt herself, doubt the role she played within the family, doubt her capacity to care for them. Madeline didn't want what little stability Elena had, no matter how much of it was based on lies, to crumble. So she lied, and continued to lie, so that her family could move on.

"Yeah Elena, today is going to be a good day," Madeline stared at her sister, her twin, trying to get her to buy the lie. Elena smiled at her, relieved no doubt.

"That's good," Elena said, turning around and striding towards the door. She pulled it open, as a honk from a car sounded out, and grinned.

"Bonnie!" Elena ran up and hugged Bonnie, as though she hadn't seen her in years. Madeline thought Bonnie was the prettiest and nicest person within Elena's friend group. Bonnie had flawless chocolate colored skin, coupled with dark brown-almost black hair. She had dark brown eyes that looked a little too wise on her, they held, deep within, power. Power, whose intentions, Madeline wasn't so sure about.

Madeline sighed and shook her head to clear her thoughts. She looked up long enough to see Elena slam the door closed behind her. Madeline sighed, that was fine, Elena probably forgot that she promised to give Madeline a ride to school, besides it was a beautiful day for a walk. She grabbed her coat, making sure her keys were in place and locked the door behind her. She took a deep breath, and began her trek towards school. As she walked, she allowed herself to take in the world around her. The sky was a beautiful, calming blue, no clouds in sight. The sun was smiling down at her, projecting its warmth all around her. The wind whispered in her ear, bringing with it wonderful summer smells and promises of fun. She allowed herself a moment to relax, to lose herself within nature, not permitting any negative thoughts to consume her tranquility. She didn't let go of her tranquil moment until she absolutely had to.

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><p>Loud noises ripped her away from her semi-meditative state. Madeline opened her eyes and saw that she had arrived at Mystic Falls High School. She allowed herself enough time to get her bearings, having not been around as many people during the summer, and made her way across the parking lot. She saw her sister coming out of the car with Bonnie, pushing away the voice in her mind that told her to confront her sister about the missed ride to school. She sighed quietly and looked down, determined not to give anyone her attention. As Madeline walked, she failed to notice the new student in the office and people's reaction to said person, as well as failing to notice her sister going in to the boy's bathroom to scold their brother over him taking drugs. She was determined not to get caught up in any way. She had enough things to deal with; she didn't need people adding more.<p>

She quickly made it to her first class of the year, history. As much as history fascinated her, Mr. Tanner seemed to suck the life out of it.

"Once our home state of Virginia joined the confederacy in 1861, it created a tremendous amount of tension within the state. People in Virginia…" Tanner continued to drone on and on, but at that point, Madeline had no desire to listen. She inconspicuously looked around the classroom and spotted Bonnie sending a text to Elena. She watched on as Elena and some guy Madeline did not recognize, exchange glances. Her eyes squinted as she tried to put a name to his, admittedly, handsome face. Coming up with nothing, Madeline swiftly concluded that he was new to the lovely town that was Mystic Falls. Too involved in her thoughts, Madeline almost didn't notice that class had ended. She quickly scooped up her books and fled the classroom.

"Hey Mad!" Madeline cringed, she never liked that nickname, and turned around, her face carefully blank. Seeing her sister walk up to her, Madeline quickly donned her mask, the mask she wore whenever she had to interact with her family.

"What's up Elena?" She made sure to add enough curiosity.

Her voice still came out flat with no emotion.

"I'm going to the cemetery later." Elena told her expectantly as though that should mean something to her.

"Okay?" Madeline didn't mean for it to come out harsh sounding but it was already too late. Elena's face contorted with annoyance.

"You know what? Nevermind," Elena snapped and stormed away. Madeline shook her head and sighed. She didn't mean to make her sister mad at her, she just had a lot on her mind. As Madeline tried to assuage her guilt, she didn't notice the figure walking in her direction. The two bumped into each other.

"Oh! I'm sorry I-" Whatever she was going to say died in her throat as she took in her surroundings. No longer was she in the pristinely white, suffocating, halls of Mystic Falls High, instead she found herself in a very familiar posh ballroom. It didn't take her long to figure out that she was in the Lockwood mansion; why she was there, she didn't know. She saw her sister, or a person who looked like her sister, dressed in a beautiful gown and wait...was she dancing with the new guy? Madeline walked closer to the couple, now finally able to hear some of their conversation, fully intent on figuring out just what the hell was happening. Why was she here? Who was the person that looked like her sister? Why was she dancing with the new guy?

"Look who found his dancing shoes." Damn, the Elena look-alike even sounded like Elena. She watched on as the new guy tried to kiss her.

"No touching Mr. Salvatore. Those are the rules." So the new kids last name was Salvatore? Huh, seems fitting. Madeline nodded to herself as her surroundings slowly reverted back to Mystic Falls High. The Salvatore guy looked at her with confusion and concern.

"Are you okay?" He asked. Madeline quickly nodded and sprinted to her next class. She kept her head down the rest of the day, making no move to converse with any of her classmates. She staunchly ignored the angry glares of her classmates and focused on the lessons being taught in the classes. She gave a sigh of relief as the last bell rang. She could go home.

Madeline let out a soft breath as she made her way out of school. She didn't want anyone in that God forsaken school to know how odd she truly was. She'd get even more trouble and Madeline really did not want to get involved with that kind of shit. She had to figure out some way to control her...attacks, as her doctor had put it.

She was seven when they started. She'd accidentally touch someone and would go into full blown seizures. Her parents had no idea what to do, and in their frantic state, they ran to the family doctor. After a long list of studies and experiments, the doctor came up with only one answer.

Epilepsy

After that, the entire session was spent with her parents discussing how this was going to affect _them and the rest of the family_. How could they possibly show their face to their neighbors with an epileptic daughter? How would Elena cope with having an epileptic twin? How would Jeremy cope with an epileptic sister?

Not once did they think about how this would affect Madeline. Not once did they stop and consider the consequences of announcing Madeline's condition to the town. Not once did they think of Madeline's wellbeing and happiness. It was always theirs.

Sometimes Madeline hated her parents. She hated them whenever she would look up from the floor only to meet the hateful eyes of her classmates. She hated them whenever her brother would get teased for having an epileptic sister. She hated them whenever someone called her the 'epileptic girl'.

Come to think of it, Madeline never truly liked her parents. They restrained her, smothered her underneath their false claims of love and protection. They never truly cared about her happiness. They never cared.

Sometimes she wished she was the one to have drowned them. She imagined herself holding their heads underwater, chuckling maniacally as they flailed about underneath her. She would watch avidly as their struggles slowly came to a halt, life leaving them. She would watch as their eyes, their _lying_ eyes, widened in disbelief, anger, and finally sadness and would relish it, cherish the memory, for the rest of her life.

But she didn't get a chance to. It was ripped away from her on the night her parents decided to go driving in a storm to go pick up her sister.

Sometimes Madeline hated Elena too.

Her sister who had everything and everyone. Her darling sister that didn't acknowledge Madeline unless it suited her needs. Her sister that would sometimes torment her, because she could. Madeline hated every hurtful thing Elena said to her; she hated that they were all true. Madeline knew that she was a burden on the family, she fucking knew that everyone would have it easier if she wasn't around. She fucking knew this.

Guilt ripped its way through her. Her sister went through something horrible and here she was bitching. It was at that point that Madeline decided she would do right by her sister. She would attempt to be the perfect girl Elena wanted her to be.

Madeline knew it wouldn't be as easy as she was making it seem.

Madeline shook her head and sighed as she opened the door to her home.

"I'm home!" She yelled, although she knew nobody was home. She trudged to the kitchen and made herself dinner. She quickly cleaned up and fled to her room to go to sleep

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><p><em>"Did you hear? They are throwing a ball tonight!" A girl giggled to her friend. Her eyes gleamed in excitement, a large smile on her face.<em>

_"Oh I did! Do you have a suitable dress?" The other girl asked, her eyebrow raised. Nodding her head, the girl squealed loudly._

_"He's going to be there Marissa!" The girl, now identified as Marissa nodded her head._

_"Oh how I wish I would be able to dance with him!" Marissa swooned. A small chuckle made the girls turn around._

_"And you Madeline? Are you going to grace us with your presence tonight?" An ugly sneer twisted itself onto Marissa's face. Madeline blinked slowly, her smirk widening at their faces._

_"Why yes, yes I am. I am sure it will be a magnificent one." Madeline grinned wolfishly at the two girls in front of her._

_"Oh now don't look so put out. I'm sure we will have a grand time."_

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><p>"The Battle of Willow Creek took place right at the end of the war in our very own Mystic Falls. How many casualties resulted in this battle? ?" Madeline shook her head in disgust, this man didn't know a thing about teaching.<p>

"Hmm, Ms Gilbert? Surely you can enlighten us about one of the town's most significant; historical events?" asked with a sneer. Madeline looked over at her sister, trying to get her attention. She may have a strained relationship with her sister, but no way was she letting that no good son of a heifer, get the best over her sister.

Alas, Elena never looked her way; she merely clenched her jaw and stared at .

"I-I'm sorry, I don't know." Madeline could see the cruel satisfaction poorly hidden in his eyes. She promptly zoned out his lecture-it probably had something to do with being lenient or some shit-and looked out the window. She let her mind wander until class ended.

Madeline quickly grabbed her books and went home. She didn't have anything to do after school-not having friends gives you a lot of free time-so she went home. Madeline opened her door to find her aunt Jenna standing in the living room, her hands on her hips.

"Oh no! Where do you think you're going?"

"My room?" Madeline rose her eyebrow, he stance mirroring Jenna's.

"No, you're not. You're going to the back to school party, make friends, and for God's sakes have fun!" Jenna threw her hands in the air, trying to emphasize her point. Madeline narrowed her eyes, no way was she going to a party just to see her peers-people who didn't even _like_ her in the first place-lose their inhibitions. She most certainly did not want to drive any of those people home.

"No!" She hadn't meant for it to come out like a whine, but it was too late to do anything about it.

"You're going and that's final. Go, be a teenager for once." By the end, Jenna's voice had gotten softer. She placed her hands on her niece's shoulder, slowly guiding her towards the exit.

"But!"

"Go Madeline!" With that, Jenna pushed her niece out the door, she smiled softly at the look of indignation on her niece's face.

"I swear aunt Jenna if you don't-"

"Bye!" Jenna swiftly closed the door, cackling loudly at her niece's cursing.

"Watch the language!"

"Dammit aunt Jenna!"

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><p>Madeline continued to grumble the entire way to the woods. Her eyes narrowed the closer she got the party. Swiftly cutting off another car to get a parking space, Madeline ignored the shouting behind her and made her way to the party. The loud noises were in the heart of the woods. Madeline didn't understand the appeal, but didn't question it.<p>

She'd be in and out. Aunt Jenna said she had to go, she didn't say Madeline had to stay.

As she walked towards the loud noises and cheap beer, Madeline got the feeling that she was being watched. Her eyes darted around as the woods suddenly got quiet. She couldn't hear the music like she could have a minute ago. The trees became darker, taller, more ominous looking. It was as though something dangerous was coming, something she wouldn't be able to survive should she ever cross its path. The wind stilled, the very air around her took on an electric charge. It was as though the world held its breath, waiting anxiously for the confrontation between Madeline and unknown.

"Hey Mad!" and just like that, the world released the breath it was holding. The trees lost their ominous aura, the moon shined through its branches. The air took on a soothing presence, as though trying to reassure her. Madeline turned around and saw Caroline making her way towards her. Madeline plastered a small smile on her face, even though it pained her to do it. Madeline didn't really have an opinion of the Forbes girl. She was just kind of...there. She didn't know how her and Elena had become friends, but she knew the blond girl always felt inadequate next to her. Madeline tilted her head. She wondered why she was talking to her of all people. What did she want?

"Hey Caroline." Madeline frowned, would she ever be able to inject emotion into her voice?

"Oh nothing much, going to a kick ass party, hoping to meet a kick ass guy I can have sex with." Madeline grinned. Sure she didn't have much of an opinion on Caroline, but she had to give it to the girl. She knew what she wanted and she wasn't afraid to take it.

"Well, let's go killer. We need to get to that party don't we?" Caroline giggled and linked arms. Madeline rose her eyebrows, looking at the appendage. She'd never done that before.

Either not noticing, or not caring for Madeline's uncomfortableness, Caroline dragged Madeline to the party. She immediately released her iron grip, when the two emerged from the trees. The 'party' was in full swing, the music blaring and the teenagers in various states of drunkenness. Madeline let her eyes take in the lame excuse for a party and went to grab a beer. She ignored the hateful mutterings around her with practiced ease, and grabbed a red solo cup. She proceeded to take a gulp, her eyes straying to the massive amount of people around her.

Bonnie and Elena were sitting on a log, joking around when it looked like something happened. Bonnie stared off into the distance, her hand on Elena's wrist tightly. Madeline gasped softly and shook her head. She could feel the influx of power emanating from Bonnie, before the power was abruptly cut off. Madeline opened her eyes-she didn't know when they closed-and watched as Bonnie made a hasty exit. Madeline tilted her head in thought. She watched as Salvatore made his way towards Elena. Madeline scoffed slightly as the two got up and went somewhere private.

You could smell the hormones pouring off of the two. It was so cute, Madeline felt like she was going to throw up. She watched them walk away towards the bridge and rolled her eyes. Madeline took a deep breath and looked around her. She was alone again.

But wasn't she always?

Suddenly feeling uncomfortable, Madeline hurried towards the woods, wanting to get away from the suddenly suffocating presence of her classmates. Breathing heavily, Madeline rested her head against the tree next to her. She would give herself a moment bask in the relative silence the woods gave her, before making her way to her car.

Footsteps broke her moment of tranquility.

Madeline kept her gaze firmly on the tree. Her body began to shiver as the footsteps grew closer. Her senses were screaming at her, telling her to get away. Dread pooled into a stomach like lead, weighing her down.

"What you don't know, won't hurt you." She whispered. Her hands gripped the base of the tree harshly. She could feel the wood chipping off and embedding itself into her hands.

The footsteps were right behind her.

"It won't hurt you, Madeline." Madeline choked back a sob, her body trembling.

The footsteps stopped. Madeline could feel them right behind her. Her body stilled completely. Fear overloaded her sense, throwing any and all rational thought out the window.

A soft breath on her neck.

"It won't hurt you."

An amused chuckle and a soft kiss on her neck.

"Until next time." And with that, the imposing presence was gone

A scream sliced through the air. Madeline breathed roughly through her nose. Ripping her hands away from their grip on the tree, Madeline made her way towards the scream. She came back to the party to see Jeremy carrying Vicki. Her eyes furrowed in confusion until she saw the blood gushing from Vicki's neck. Blood streamed down the side of her neck, pooling beneath her seizing frame. Vicki choked, her eyes clenched shut.

"It's her neck, something bit her. She's losing a lot of blood." Elena screamed. Madeline moved closer to her sister, her eyes not straying from the sight before her.

"Vicki, you need to open your eyes. Please." Madeline ripped her eyes away from Vicki's neck. She grabbed her sister's arm, squeezing it to get her attention. Elena turned towards her sister, immediately pulling her closer. Feeling the slight tremor from Elena's body, Madeline hugged her sister, trying to get her to turn away from the grisly sight. Elena was too weak to carry on with all of the death surrounding her. Madeline would protect her with every fiber of her being.

She was strong.

Madeline lifted her eyes, seeing a black silhouette covered in the darkness of the woods. She trembled slightly, causing Elena to hug her closer.

So why the hell did she feel so _weak_?


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you to everyone who followed/faved this story! I love writing this and cannot wait to get into the nitty gritty of Madeline's powers!

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><p><em>Madeline ran through the woods, desperately hoping to escape the man chasing her. She just needed to get to her car and she'd be safe. Her breathing ragged, Madeline attempted to see through the tears clouding her vision.<em>

_She couldn't stop now, she couldn't._

_"You're going too slow." A voice taunted her. Madeline could feel him behind her. She forced herself to keep going, to get as far away as she could._

_"I'm coming!" Madeline grasped her side, she couldn't go very far. Seeing nothing behind her, Madeline hid behind the nearest tree. She forced herself to calm her breathing. She couldn't have him catch her._

_"Ooh, you're hiding, not very original." Madeline choked down the sob threatening to escape her mouth. She slapped a hand over her mouth, tears steadily streamed her face._

_"I can smell you." He was right behind her. Madeline began to shake._

_"I can feel your fear, it clings to you." She should run. Why wasn't she running? Madeline closed her eyes, breathing heavily through her nose._

_"You smell delicious." Run dammit! Run Madeline!_

_She could feel him in front of her. His breath fanned her face, a metallic smell hit her nostrils._

_Blood_

_"Please," Madeline whimpered, her eyes closed. She clasped her hands together in prayer. She prayed to whatever deity there was. She didn't care that she wasn't particularly religious. She just wanted to be safe again._

_"Nothing is going to save you now." Madeline felt something wet touch her cheek. With a start, she realized it was a tongue. A whimper escaped her mouth._

_"Ah your fear is so delicious." Madeline could feel her tears leave her closed eyes. She knew she was going to die in that moment. A kiss was placed on her neck._

_"Please, I don't want it!" She cried out, trying to get some sort of pity from the monster in front of her._

_"You're mine now Madeline." Teeth ripped into her flesh_.

Madeline awoke with a gasp, her hands immediately flying to her throat. She attempted to get her breathing under control, but couldn't with the amount of emotions flooding her system. Her body shook with fear, sweat leaking from every pore. Eyes flitting from place to place, Madeline got out of bed.

Looking out the window, she ascertained that it was early enough in the morning that she could go for a jog. She needed to clear her head some way. Grabbing her headphones, Madeline made a beeline for the door.

She didn't need people asking unnecessary questions.

The music steadily drummed in her ear as Madeline contemplated the dream she had.

'It felt so real,' she thought, her hand clasping her neck. She took a deep breath, reminding herself to stay near the road, no way was she going in the woods. Madeline turned to stare at the entrance, her body unconsciously trembling. Darkness seemed to emanate from the entrance, warning her of the dangers that lay within. Sunlight couldn't penetrate the tall trees, leaving a lot to the imagination.

Madeline shuddered, her imagination was a place she didn't want to go. Shaking her head, Madeline ran all the way home.

Opening the door, Madeline was assaulted with the smell of perfume.

"Who's wearing perfume?" She yelled, removing her shoes at the door.

"It's me, Mad! I need to smell and look good for my parent-teacher conference today." Jenna came into the living room, clipping on earrings. She smiled widely at the sight of her niece. It was nice to see her running again. Jenna couldn't remember the last time she saw Madeline in her running attire.

"Who's the lucky kid?" Madeline asked, making her way towards the kitchen. She grabbed an apple, and sat down.

"It's for Jeremy. I have to talk to Tanner." Madeline scrunched up her nose. She never liked that teacher, too much of an asshole for her tastes.

"Gross, have fun with that." Madeline nodded to her aunt and walked up the stairs to get ready. She avoided the mirror again, not needing to see herself. She knew what would stare back at her. Madeline quickly put on her clothes, grabbed her backpack and hurried out of the room. On her way out, Elena grabbed her. Going rigid, Madeline held her breath, not turning around to look at her sister. Images of her nightmare flashed before her eyes.

"Mad!" Like a jolt to her system, Madeline came back to reality. She turned around and was confronted with the sight of her worried twin.

"Sorry Elena, I just spaced out." Madeline looked at her twin, taking in the large smile that adorned her face. A small smile appeared on hers in return. It was nice to see her sister so happy.

"Hey Mad, I was wondering where you went. Do you want a lift to school?" Smiling gratefully, Madeline nodded. Elena smiled again and dragged her sister out of the house.

"So Mad, I have to tell you something." With a raised eyebrow, Madeline turned her head away from the window.

"Yeah?" Madeline was momentarily stunned by the wide grin that overtook her sister's face. She hadn't seen her sister smile like this in a long time.

"I met someone. He's in our history class, Stefan Salvatore." Salvatore...Now where had she heard that name before? Madeline tuned out her sister's rambling as she attempted to match a name to a face. Scrunching up her nose, Madeline shrugged her shoulders. She was sure she'd figure out who the kid was eventually.

Turning towards her sister, Madeline took a moment to study her. The large grin was still present on her face, a certain twinkle was in her eyes. She looked happy. Her face glowed with some sort of inner light, and all Madeline could do was stare.

"What?" Elena asked, realizing the intense scrutiny she was under.

"Nothing, you're just really happy." Madeline turned her head towards the window again.

"I am happy. I don't know why, but I just feel good today." Madeline frowned, jealousy momentarily invading her thoughts. Why couldn't she feel happy?

"You just have to put yourself out there Mad. We can't be sad girls forever. And you know what? People aren't going to keep giving us passes." Madeline flinched at the harsh tone her sister took. She was right; people weren't going to keep giving them passes.

"I know it's hard, but I've done it. I'm sure you can too." Madeline chose to ignore the superior tone in her sister's voice. Her sister was just looking out for her.

"Thanks Elena." Madeline tried to inject gratefulness into her sentence, but frowned at hollow tone. Why was it so hard for her to feel? Madeline took a deep breath and exited the car as soon as they arrived at the school. She just needed to try harder.

For her family.

Madeline quickly grabbed the materials she needed for her history class. She kept her head down as she made her way towards class, noting that she was the first one there.

She always was.

Nodding at , Madeline made her way towards her seat. Sitting down, Madeline attempted to clear her mind; it was the only way she could venture into her mindscape. She took deep breaths, remembering to keep her head down. Madeline closed her eyes, blocking out the steady chatter of the students in the hallway. She focused on her breathing, noting the way it hitched ever so slightly. Madeline could feel herself falling into a trance-like state, where all that she could register was herself.

_"You're mine now, Madeline." Teeth ripped into her flesh._

Madeline gasped softly, her eyes flying open. She pushed down the hysteria that bubbled up within her, forcing the tears to stay in her eyes. Madeline took a couple seconds to gather her bearings, noting that class had started and people were in their seats. Nobody had noticed her episode.

Nobody ever really noticed her.

"Originally discovered nearly 5 centuries ago, it hasn't been over Mystic Falls in over 145 years. Now, the comet will be its brightest right after dusk during tomorrow's celebration. Are we bothering you, Mr. Salvatore? Ms. Gilbert?" questioned, his hands on his hips. If this was any other day, Madeline would have laughed at the picture the man made. The bell ringing brought relief to every patreon in the classroom. Madeline grabbed her backpack and hurried out. She couldn't shake the effects the dream had on her all day. Madeline felt eyes on her back as she went about her day. They seared onto her body, branding her. She could feel their pull.

Yet every time she turned around, nobody was there.

Madeline attempted to calm her breathing as she made her way to the Grill. Nothing was there to hurt her, she would be safe in her ignorance. She was safe in her ignorance.

Madeline didn't see him coming.

She crashed into a hard body, a gasp of surprise leaving her throat. Closing her eyes, Madeline braced herself for the fall.

She didn't feel it.

Opening her eyes, Madeline was confronted with a beautiful sight. Wind swept black hair and a chiseled face were the first thing Madeline registered. The hard body resting against hers was the next. Madeline could feel the muscles hidden underneath the stranger's clothing. But that wasn't what made the stranger so handsome.

Ice blue eyes locked onto her hazel ones and refused to let them go. Madeline didn't know when she had died, but she was sure the angel in front of her was all the evidence she needed. The angel's mouth curled into a smirk.

"Sorry trippy, but I'm not an angel."

And like that, her dream came back to her.

Madeline attempted to rip herself from the stranger's grip. She breathed heavily, her eyes widening.

"You," she couldn't seem to get the words out of her mouth.

"Yes, me." The stranger seemed to find her attempts of escaping amusing.

"I...You were...the woods! You were there that night!" Fear ripped itself through Madeline's body. She knew his voice. This man in front of her haunted her dreams, he was there the night Vicki got hurt.

He was dangerous.

The man clicked his tongue in agitation. He couldn't have her scared of him, it would ruin his plans. He kept his hold on her, smirking at the fear that emanated from her body. He allowed himself a moment to sniff her neck.

God she smelled delicious.

The man stared deep into the girl's eyes. He would toy with her for the time being. It was a better alternative to his other plan of just killing her. The moment he was sure she was under his compulsion, he began working.

"You're not afraid of me." He told her firmly, making sure to keep eye contact.

"I'm not afraid of you," the girl repeated verbatim. Her eyes had dulled to a flat brown, the green and gold specks no longer able to be seen.

"You will do as I say."

"I will do as you say." The man licked his lips, his fingers caressing the junction between her shoulder and neck. God her scent was so overpowering.

"You will allow me to feed off of you, and you will not show it to anyone."

"I will allow you to feed off of me, and I will not show anyone." The man growled softly under his breath, his grip on her shoulders increasing.

"You will not tell anyone anything about our time together. You will not talk to me in front of other people."

"I will not tell anyone, anything about our time together. I will not talk to you in front of other people." The man stopped his compulsion and smirked widely. It worked, she was his. He thought for sure his brother would do something to stop this from happening, but it would appear he overestimated him.

Oh well, his loss.

The stranger watched, amused, as the girl looked at him. He caressed her neck softly, smirking at her reaction.

"Oh and by the way sweet cheeks, the name's Damon," and with that, he left. Madeline shook her head, her hand rubbing her temples. Why did her head hurt? She groaned and continued towards the Grill. Removing her hands from her temples, Madeline entered the Grill, her face showing no emotion. Her eyes roamed the establishment, looking for a place to sit down.

"Mad! Hey Mad come here!" Madeline internally grimaced, turning around to see her sister and her friends. She attempted to smile at the group, and made her way towards them.

"Hey, uh, what's up you guys?" Caroline grabbed her arm, forcing Madeline to sit down. Her eyes wide, Madeline looked at the blond in question.

"What? You were just going to continue to stand there like a scarecrow, if I didn't make you sit." Madeline shook her head, turning to look at her sister and Bonnie.

"Well, like I was saying," Bonnie began, her body leaning in closer to them. "I was talking to Grams, and she said the comet is a sign of impending doom. The last time it passed over Mystic Falls, there was lots of death. So much blood and carnage, it created a bed of paranormal activity."

"Yeah, and then you poured Grams another shot and she told you about the aliens. So then what?" Madeline smirked to herself, amused. Trust Carolyn to speak her mind.

"So then nothing." Elena shifted in her seat, a blush blooming on her cheeks. Madeline looked at her sister, confused.

"You and Stefan talked all night? There was no sloppy first kiss or touchy feely of any kind?" Caroline rose her eyebrows in disbelief.

"Nope. We didn't go there." Elena shook her, her face amused.

"Not even a handshake? I mean, Elena, we are your friends. Ok? You are supposed to share the smut." Madeline shook her head, her eyes glittering in amusement. The utter surprise on Caroline's face was hilarious.

"We just talked for hours." Elena laughed. For a second time that day, Madeline was taken aback by the happiness that emanated from Elena.

"Ok, what is with the blockage? Just jump his bones already! Ok, it's easy. Boy likes girl, girl likes boy, sex!" Madeline chuckled lowly. Really Caroline?  
>"Profound," Elena muttered, rising from her chair. Madeline stared at her sister confused.<p>

"Where are you going?"

"Caroline's right. It is easy. If I sit here long enough, I'll end up talking myself out of it, instead of doing what I started the day saying what I was going to do." Madeline rose an eyebrow, a smirk playing on her face.

"So you're going to go jump his bones? Be careful, I'm not ready to see mini Elenas everywhere." Madeline's smirk widened at the blush on her sister's face. Elena hurried out of the Grill, laughter following her. Madeline turned towards the other two people left and rose her eyebrow. It's not like they were her friends.

So why were they still here?  
>"So, uh, Mad, how's life?" Bonnie questioned lamely. Madeline tilted her head, in confusion. Why would she ask that?<br>"I'm fine," Madeline whispered, her eyes not quite meeting Bonnie's.

"Mad, I-" Before Bonnie could finish, Madeline stood. She forced a smile on her face, trying to reassure them.

"I'm sorry you guys, I just remembered I have something to do." With that, Madeline hurried out of there. She couldn't handle it. She couldn't talk to people.

Madeline often wondered why that was.

Opening the door to her home, Madeline beared witness to one of the most interesting things in her life.

"You get high?" Since when did Jeremy and aunt Jenna sit around and talk to each other? And why was their conversation about pot?

"Did, past tense, but yeah, I did and you know what? I loved it. Anything to get a little distraction from life...reality. And it worked. For a while. Never lasts, though. Hey, I'm not saying I wouldn't love to rail back and kick it, but with a thesis looming and a waistline expanding. . ." Madeline cocked her head to the side, was that going to help Jeremy at all? She watched as Jeremy got up to leave the room. Jenna sighed and turned to look at her niece.

"I thought you were going to be at the Grill with Elena?" Jenna frowned. She wanted her niece to be out socializing with everyone. Instead she had to watch as Madeline let her life waste away.

What was she doing wrong?

"I was there for a bit and then I came home. I just wasn't feeling it." Madeline wasn't going to tell her aunt that she didn't feel she was ready, that socializing made her skin crawl. She wouldn't tell her that. This family needed Madeline to be strong.

"You don't need to worry about me aunt Jenna." Madeline whispered, making her way up the stairs. She entered her room, instantly relaxing. Jumping on her bed, Madeline took a deep breath. She focused on her breathing, pushing out all other sensations.

Madeline needed to be in tune with herself.

She opened her eyes and looked around her mindscape. Her eyes widened as she took in the changes.

What happened?

Fog obscured her vision, choking her. She crossed her arms, trying to protect herself.

Madeline didn't know what she was protecting herself from.

Looking deeper, Madeline noticed, with growing horror, the cracks on the walls. They had grown in size, overtaking massive sections of her mind. The fog, once again attempted to obscure her vision, but Madeline pushed through. She tried to remember what happened to her.

Pain erupted in her eyes. Madeline gasped aloud, closing her eyes. Hot tears escaped the closed lids. They burned her on the way down her face. Madeline couldn't help but cry out. She fell onto the floor, the image of her mindscape shattering around her.

And just like that, the pain subsided.

Gasping roughly, Madeline crawled to the bathroom. She didn't have the energy to walk. Madeline pulled herself up with the help of the counter, deliberately turning away from the mirror. Wiping her eyes, Madeline moved to open the medicine cabinet. Her-now open-eyes widened as she caught sight of the blood on her fingers. She wiped her cheeks, moving her hand away to see more blood.

Madeline was crying tears of blood.

Hyperventilating, Madeline turned on the faucet, trying to get the blood off of her face. Why was there so much blood? She continued to wash her face, although she knew it was futile.

Madeline would always feel it on her skin.

Breathing heavily, Madeline exited the room. She walked into the kitchen, only to be confronted with an exasperated aunt.

"Seriously Madeline? Do I have to force you out of the house every time?" Madeline shook her head, an eyebrow raised. She hid her shaking hands away from her aunt.

"Don't you remember the comet?" Madeline nodded her head, a sarcastic smile on her lips.

"And?" Jenna raised her hands to the air, grumbling something unintelligible.

"You're going," With that, Jenna pushed her niece out of the house.

"Seriously Jenna! You need to stop this right now!" Jenna cackled loudly.

"What are you going to do? Seriously Madeline, you're the size of pixie, you're not going to do anything." Madeline sputtered indignantly, her ire rising. She didn't notice that she was nearing the front door.

"I'll have you know, I'm of the respectable height of 5ft2. Just because you people are giants-" Madeline was cut off by the door slamming behind her. She turned around, her mouth hanging open.

"Jenna!" A cackle was her response.

Madeline grumbled, her hands holding the candle tightly. She didn't want to be here, with these people, but she would have to for her aunt Jenna. Her eyes were trained on the ground, not wanting to interact with the people around her.

So of course it would only be natural for her to run into someone.

"Oh jeez I'm really sorry." Madeline said, her eyes firmly on the floor. Hands grasped her shoulders, steadying her.

"Hey, no it's okay. I didn't see you there." The hands on her shoulders stayed in place. It was as though the person was waiting for her to acknowledge them.

Strange considering nobody acknowledged her.

Madeline raised her eyes to meet familiar forest green ones.

"Are you alright?" Madeline nodded her head, stepping back to remove the hands on her shoulders.

"I'm Stefan. Stefan Salvatore, and you are?" Madeline forced herself to smile amicably back at the stranger.

"Madeline Gilbert," she whispered, shaking his offered hand. Stefan smiled at her, nodding once.

"Elena's sister right?"

"Yeah, I'm her twin," Madeline began, her eyes roamed his features, taking in the angular jawline and broad forehead. "You're the guy Elena's interested in."

Stefan shook his head, his shoulders visibly drooping.

"I don't know if she wants to be." Madeline tilted her head to the side, studying him.

"You won't know, if you don't fight for it." Stefan chuckled bitterly.

"How can I do that, if she won't give me a chance?" Madeline shook her head, her eyes capturing his.

"You have to show her that it's worth it." With that parting advice, Madeline excused herself, not noticing the inquisitive eyes that followed after her.

"Madeline Gilbert," Stefan whispered softly, before walking away.

Madeline hugged her jacket closer to her as she made her way to the Grill. She didn't notice the hungry eyes tracking her movements, and she didn't notice the man following her.

Not until it was too late.

A hand grabbed her mouth, stopping her from screaming. Ice blue eyes were all that she registered, before the world around her blurred. When Madeline finally stopped, she was no longer in the town's square. She whirled her head around trying to see if her surroundings weren't just some elaborate decorative job Caroline had done.

She knew it was stupid, but she couldn't make sense of it. She didn't want to.

"We meet again," a voice behind her whispered. Madeline whirled around, fighting to keep the hysteria bubbling under the surface down. She was met with familiar blue eyes.

"Damon," Madeline breathed, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. Fear and happiness waged a war inside her. Her body stood rigid, her heart hammering inside her body. Why was she so afraid of Damon? He didn't do anything to her. Her thoughts went to her muddled mindscape, and Madeline stumbled backwards.

"Still afraid of me?" Damon tilted his head, trying to understand the enigma before him. He was sure he compelled her, so why was she still afraid. He rose an eyebrow as a smirk settled on his lips.

Wasn't this interesting?

"Just what are you hiding little Gilbert?" Damon sped in front of her, taking a moment to sniff her neck.

"What are you going to do to me?" Madeline whimpered, her dream hitting her full force.

"Right at this moment? I'm going to feed." Teeth ripped into her flesh. Before Madeline could let out a bloodcurdling scream, Damon slapped a hand over her mouth. Tears streamed down her face as he continued to suck her life force. With every suck, pain rippled through Madeline's body. It was as if she was being ripped apart slowly.

Damon pulled away from her neck with a moan. He looked at her, taking in the gaping hole on the side of her neck, steadily oozing blood.

Oh how he wanted to drain her.

Damon stared deep into Madeline's eyes, forcing her to be under his thrall once again.

"You were walking through the woods when a mountain lion attacked you. You got away because something distracted it. You don't remember me being here, you won't remember our talk." Damon waited until she repeated what he said, before leaving.

Madeline grabbed her neck, keeping her grip tight as she stared in the distance. Her breaths came in short pants.

She needed to get out of there.

Her feet moved sluggishly, the loss of blood affecting her greatly.

Madeline didn't know if she'd make it.

She closed her eyes, her feet continuing to take to her to the town square. Madeline needed to get out of the woods.

Her feet buckled beneath her, unable to sustain her weight. Madeline could feel the blood leaving her body, the pain debilitating. She could feel her eyes closing as her head began to get woozy.

She wouldn't make it.

"Madeline!"


End file.
